


Beachside

by jihyoismywife



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: F/F, Friends With Benefits, the first chapter is probably the saddest, there is some jihyo/jinyoung but only at the start, this story could be a bit of a trashy soap opera, will see
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-28
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-11-05 12:30:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11013477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jihyoismywife/pseuds/jihyoismywife
Summary: Best friends Jihyo and Nayeon, along with Momo, Sana and Mina become housemates on a big brother style reality show set in a luxurious beach house on a deserted island, but some things are not as they seem.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, two things  
> 1\. I hope you enjoy the story, if so, it'd make me really happy if you comment and let me know. It really helps motivate me to write more  
> 2\. Jinyoung fans, I am so so sorry.

Jihyo feels elated, almost weightless, like her fingers can't type fast enough. "Go to Twitter and look at the Neighbourhood Friends tag". She hits send then immediately adds, "I have 12000 new twitter followers!! Jinyoung has 14000!!!!! *__* It only aired half an hour ago". She leans back and sinks into cool velvety couch cushions, going back to scrolling twitter on her phone. She looks at comments while she waits for Nayeon's reply. She knows Nayeon would be working at the coffee shop today, but she would be going on break around now. Jihyo gets a slightly goofy smile on her face when she reads a comment saying that her and Jinyoung were the cutest couple they'd seen and another that says that they are relationship goals. This was the gist of a lot of the incoming sea of comments.

Then her concentration is broken because Bad Girl Good Girl by Miss A abruptly plays from her phone. This was the custom ringtone she had recently set for Nayeon's number because they have an inside joke about that song. She answers it.

"Oh my gosh! I can't believe it!.. Actually I can, but you know, wow! I'm proud of you guys. I'm just sorry i haven't gotten to watch it yet", Says Nayeon.

"Thank you, it feels so surreal. This could be my way into the industry. I'm trying to not get my hopes up but people are saying they want to see us on other shows as well. Also i got to sing as part of a challenge we did, so if a talent scout was watching.. wow i must sound like i'm bragging. Sorry, i'm just so happy".

"Hey, you deserve to brag, this is a really big deal. You've put so much effort into training, you've earned it".

"I guess you're right.. If only i'd known earlier that reality tv was the way to get noticed instead of wasting my time preparing for all those auditions". Jihyo notices the absence of the sinking feeling in her stomach she gets when she thinks about failed auditions. She welcomes the change.

"What did your mum say about it?".

"I don't know, she's at her friend's house but she watched the show and texted me her notes about how i could improve my performance. I doubt she knows about the social media reaction though. I really wanted to tell you first",

"Aw, that's so sweet, i feel loved", Nayeon says playfully. "You've at least talked to jinyoung about it right? Are you going to see him to celebrate?".

"He hasn't replied to my texts but he said he would be busy at his acting class today. Actually, i was thinking of surprising him".

"Oooo what are you going to do?", Nayeon asked, intrigued.

"Ok, so, i'll be at his house when he gets home, dressed up all pretty with a delicious home cooked meal on the table that we can eat by candle light. I want to give him a gift as well, something meaningful to mark our debut into the entertainment industry as a couple. I'm gonna go to the craft store and see if i can find a gift i can make myself".

"That's so romantic", Nayeon says wistfully. "If more guys would do things like that maybe i wouldn't need to be so single".

"If you keep watching dramas as much as you do, no guy is going to seem romantic enough", Jihyo jokes as she reaches for the peach smoothie she had been drinking. It slightly freezes her throat as she swallows too quickly.

"If non fictonal men can't measure up that's their fault, not mine", Nayeon says indignantly then pauses. "So, a handmade gift is a good idea. I mean, what do you get the boy who has everything?", She says like she is trying to shrug off any embarrassment.

"Yeah, i've basically given up buying him things at this stage.. Hey just so it's clear, i admire and encourage your _incredibly_ high standards with guys".

Nayeon laughs. "Thanks. I should probably go soon, i need to do some things before my break ends".

"Aw ok. I feel bad, i've gone on about me but i've barely asked how you're doing".

"That's ok. Work is work. Except earlier, there was the stupidest customer! You know how sometimes when i'm really focusing or get lost in thought i do _the_ _face_?".

"Yeah, i know the face", Replies Jihyo with a slight giggle. Were you doing it at work?".

"Yeah, and some dickbag customer thought i was death glaring him! He complained to my manager!", Nayeon exclaims.

Jihyo starts laughing. "Since when do you call people 'dickbags'?".

"Well he was! and my manager was a dickbag as well for siding with him!", She says frustratedly then goes silent. "..Hey, i have to go".

"Is something wrong?", Jihyo asks, noticing how her tone of voice went from irritated to quiet and meek in about two seconds.

"I'm ok, i'll explain later. Have to go, bye", Nayeon says quickly and hangs up.

Jihyo is concerned, but she knows Nayeon will explain what that was about soon enough. She can't get too distracted, she still needs to tell her mum about her and Jinyoung's success and go shopping to prepare for his surprise.

 

 

Passing into Jinyoung's neighbourhood is a sharper change than most suburbs you travel between. The houses become competitively huge and ultra modern. Closed off behind heavy gates and ornate fences. Jinyoung's is on a slight rise at the corner, the jewel of the street.

A gust of icy wind greets Jihyo as she exits her taxi. It sweeps up from the roadside and snatches at the hem of her short lavender dress. It almost makes her regret choosing a dress that flows out loosely from her waist, a bit too easily picked up by a stray breeze. The weather was being strange and unpredictable, an abnormally cold day of summer.

Goosebumps blossom down her legs and arms as she collects her heavy grocery bags from the boot of the taxi. Now she has to ignore the plastic digging painfully into her fingers as she cuts through his perfect lawn to his front door. She puts some bags down to get her key and with a satisfying click of the lock she lets herself in. Jihyo's glad to be inside and out of the cold, her first stop is putting all the heavy shopping bags down on his marble countertop. In some strange way it makes her happy when she has the chance to use the key he gave her. It feels like a glimpse of what it would be like if they were married, if they lived together and she was a part of his idea of 'home'. She likes to fantasize, especially since him proposing seems like something that could be in the cards eventually. They've been together long enough for it to be something he was considering, surely.

She pulls a decorative purple box from her handbag and feels a tiny surge of happiness as she opens it. Inside is the gift she's going to give Jinyoung, the gift that will commemorate this amazing thing they've accomplished together. At the craft store they had a selection of adorable customizable plushies with lots of different outfits and add ons you could buy. She bought two cats because she knows how much he likes cats. One is a black cat, to match Jinyoung's hair and the other is a light brown cat, matching hers. She dressed the cats to closely resemble the outfits they wore on their tv appearance and lovingly hand sewed on any missing details such as the floral logo on Jinyoung's shirt or the necklace that she had worn. She sits them in the crook of her arm and walks with them to the bathroom mirror, having a sudden urge to look at her dress again.

Dresses are a thing Jihyo barely wears, but looking at herself now, she thinks maybe she wants to start doing it more. She feels really pretty and she can't wait to see Jinyoung's reaction when he sees her and she gives him his gift.

Just then, she's startled by something. It sounds like the murmur of a person's voice, coming from upstairs. "Jiny-", She stops herself when the thought occurs to her that it _could_ be a burglar. After all, Jinyoung _did_ say he was at acting class. Her eyes widen and her body completely freezes up, only able to listen closer for any indication of what's happening up there. Honestly, she had sort of expected he would get robbed eventually, the thought had come to her sometimes when she slept over at his house and heard any slightly suspicious sound. Especially with house practically being an advertisment for all the expensive things you would find inside.

"Uugh fuck!", She hears a muffled voice cry out desperately, painfully, she knows it belongs to Jinyoung. He could have just hurt himself.. _Or_ it could the burglar, _they_ could be hurting him. As that thought occurs to her, she shoves the cat plushies under her arm and runs to get the baseball bat that Jinyoung keeps under the bed in the spare room. She know's she's not thinking clearly and has no idea what exactly she's planning to do if there really is a burglar, but right now she's running on adrenaline, act now think later. She wishes she could yell out to him to confirm if there's actually any issue before she comes barrelling in, but she's sure she's chosen the best course of action. If nothing is wrong then they'll probably just laugh about it, he's seen her do weirder things than this. But if there really is a problem, she needs the element of surprise on her side.

She tip toes up the expansive polished staircase, baseball bat over her shoulder. Her strange reflection gleams at her in the hand rail. Unexpectedly, the closer she gets, the less it sounds like Jinyoung in pain. it sounds more like the opposite. Something that would break her heart. The meaning of this dawns on her and it drains her of everything, siphoning more precious and irreplaceable things from inside her the closer she gets. Her arms fall limply by her sides and the cat plushies drop to the ground. She feels a lump in her throat and lets the baseball bat drag on the ground as she walks.

Now she stands in Jinyoung's doorway, having thrown his door wide open. Nothing could have prepared her for what she is seeing. She wouldn't believe it if it wasn't right in front of her.

"Jihyo? Oh fuck! Jihyo!", Jinyoung exclaims as he shoves that.. thing off of him.

"What is this?", Jihyo asks with wide unreachable eyes, looking over the fur clad body of the woman he's cheating on her with. She's wearing what appears to be a cat costume, but nothing like when a girl wears cat ears to look cute. This was more like the full body custume of somebody who is paid to entertain at childrens parties by dressing as a beloved animal character. It covers her head and everything, the only part of her body not be covered is where he was fucking her.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry", Jinyoung says pathetically as he avoids eye contact with her and hurriedly searches the floor of the room completely naked and still somewhat erect. He finds his wallet and pulls out a wad of cash and hands it to that woman that was on top of him. "You have to leave", He says to her in a polite but firm tone. She silently collects her clothes then leaves and shuts the door behind her.

"You disgust me", Jihyo says quietly, feeling the lump in her throat getting bigger. She can feel tears burning at the edges of her eyes but she wills herself to not start crying.

"I know how this looks but you have to let me explain. It's not like i'm attracted to animals. I have a fetish for anthropomorphic people, it's totally different. if you look on the internet you'll see it's actually pretty common",

"That's not why i'm disgusted you dickbag!", she shouts.

"Dickbag?", Asks Jinyoung confusedly.

"Nayeon said it earlier.. Shut up! This isn't about me! This is about you! You being so selfish that you would lie to me, betray me, ruin everything we have just so you can live out your stupid cat fetish!"

"It's not a cat fetish, I'm not attracted to actual cats, that's a common misconception about this. It's the idea of a part human part cat creature that i'm-".

"I don't care!", Jihyo interrupts. "I don't want to hear you justifying your weird fetish to me. How about you cheating on me? Do you have a justification for that?", she demands.

Jinyoung has a long pause. "You would have never participated in this, correct?". The way he speaks seems cold, detatched, but somehow not that different from how he normally talks.

"Correct".

"It would be very bad for my reputation and career prospects if word got out about this, correct?".

"Yeah.."

"Well, relationships can end and when a relationship ends you cannot guarantee that person will keep your secrets. So it's more logical and practical to have a sex worker fufill this type of need, considering how discretion and confidentiality is a part of their job description. I mean regardless, it's not like you would have done this with me, so this was really my only option".

"Your only.. option..". She is seething with rage as she considers his words. Her face feels hot and she realizes she doesn't feel like crying anymore. "You are really selfish enough to honestly believe that acting out your wildest sexual fantasies is a 'need' ?".

"..Yeah?".

With that Jihyo knows she is done here and turns to leave but Jinyoung grabs her arm. "Please-".

"What about my needs? my need to not be lied to, my need to be able to trust you? I guess yours matter more right?", JIhyo accuses.

"Please Jihyo, listen. If this was just some casual relationship that wasn't going anywhere then yeah, i could abstain for a bit and wait until it was over before i do it again, but it's not". His voice becomes sweeter. "I see my future with you baby, i love you, that's why i need an outlet. How would you feel knowing that there is something you want to do but you can never do it again?".

She snatches her arm away from his bony grasp. "Why did you waste your time dating me at all? If you knew you needed this you should have found somebody who was ok with it, instead you lied to and cheated on me. And by the way, if you think not getting to do things I want is a foreign concept to me then you must have never listened to me at all. You don't know anything about me", She says coldy. "It's over Jinyoung". She walks down the staircase and he hurries after her, crowding around her like a pack of yapping dogs.

"Baby please, we can sort this out".

"No". She grabs her handbag and heads for the door but he swings around to block her way.

"Ok but you'll at least promise me you won't tell anybody right?".

"Oh, like how you promised that i was the only one for you?", She says bitterly and shoves past him.

"Seriously, you really need to not tell anybody!, We need to at least talk about that".

"Don't care!" She shouts, which gives her a twinge satisfaction. As she walks away from his hulking mansion she's glad Jinyoung is blocked from following her any further by being completely naked.

"You have to promise me!", he shouts out the door. She pretends to not hear him and walks further and further down his street, passing through what feels like a blur of maple trees and perfect houses. The cold evening air sneaks in under her clothes and the tip of her nose turns numb. It's strange that she still hasn't cried yet, she thinks to herself.

"Are you at home?", She texts Nayeon.

"Yeah why?", Nayeon texts back almost immediately.

Jihyo starts to type, but can't find the right words and deletes all of it. "Can i come over?", she types instead. Her phone beeps with a reply.

"Yeah of course. You've finished your thing with Jinyoung? How did it go? Did he love it????? I need details lol".

She sure has finished her 'thing' with Jinyoung, but she knows that's not how she meant it. "Yeah, i'll tell you all about it when i see you", she replies.

 

 

There are times when Nayeon's humble apartment feels like Jihyo's home away from home. Sometimes, it feels more like home than her actual home. As she walks up the painted concrete stairwell she knows that this is one of those times.

"Jihyo!", Nayeon says sweetly as she wraps her arms around her. "You feel freezing", She says as she rubs her warms hands up and down Jihyo's arms like she's attempting to heat them up. "Make yourself comfortable, i'm going to get you a sweater". She hurries off to another room. Jihyo smiles, maybe for the fist time since the thing with Jinyoung happened.

"Your dress looks adorable by the way!", Nayeon shouts out from the other room".

"Thanks", Jihyo replies. At least she gets to hear _somebody_ say it, she thinks. As Nayeon returns with a baggy navy sweater Jihyo gets her first proper look at her face. She notices how her eyes look irritated and her skin has the slightly red and puffy appearance of somebody who was crying recently. "Nayeon, are you ok?", she asks.

"No.. not really", she says in a very small voice as she hands Jihyo the bundled up sweater. "Sorry i didn't mention it on the phone. I was holding off telling you because i didn't want you to have to be thinking about me on your special date with Jinyoung. Then you said you were coming here and i felt like i would rather tell you in person".

"What is it?", Jihyo asks, obviously concerned.

"Remember when we were on the phone and i had to go abruptly? That was because I realized that the manager's nephew who works at the coffee shop was standing right behind me. He told his uncle i called him a dickbag and i got fired because of it. Why am i so stupid? What am I going to do?", Nayeon says, her voice trembling toward the end.

Jihyo gives her the biggest hug she can muster, holding her tight and making them sway just slightly. "You're not stupid, you're one of the smartest people i know". She says with her chin on her shoulder, feeling a pillow of soft hair against her cheek.

"Nobody else would say that. Maybe my parents are right and i really am going to end up a failure", Nayeon says sadly.

"That's not true. You're still figuring things out. You'll find the thing you're meant to do eventually".

Nayeon hugs her tighter and says nothing at all. Being in her arms makes the weight of Jihyo's own problems feel a little bit lighter, like she can just forget about them while Nayeon's holding her. She thinks about how they are both feeling small and vulnerable in the world right now, having the rug just pulled out from under them. She wishes she could protect Nayeon from anything bad.

".. I don't want to move back in with my parents. I can't.", Nayeon finally says. Jihyo doesn't want her to either. "But how can I pay rent? I don't have enough savings to pay rent while i find a new job". She slowly releases Jihyo from her arms.

"I don't know, but there has to be a way", says Jihyo.

"Doubtful".

Jihyo gives her a slightly sad acknowledging look. It's not like she can lie and tell her there's no chance she will lose her apartment. "How about i make us some hot chocolate?", she offers.

"I'd like that. Thank you". Jihyo pulls the fuzzy sweater over her head as they walk into the cramped tiled kitchen. The sink is piled with dirty dishes like usual, but unlike usual, Jihyo makes no comment about it. Instead she wordlessly washes two mugs. Nayeon leans against the bench on the opposite side.

"So, how did it go with Jinyoung?".

"I'm not sure you'd believe me if i told you", Jihyo says as she gets the chocolate powder and marshmallows out of the cupboard. She sees that Nayeon bought the specific brand of marshmallows that Jihyo had mentioned liking the last time she was here. It's a small gesture, but it makes her think about how cared for Nayeon makes her feel.

"Ok, now you _have_ to tell me", Nayeon replies.

Jihyo starts telling the story and when she glances away from her hot chocolate making duties she sees Nayeon with her jaw dropped. Or Nayeon looking like she is going find and kill Jinyoung.

Jihyo hands her a hot mug that's filled to the brim, with spongey marshmallows almost melting over the top. She takes a careful sip and Jihyo picks up her own mug, the rich chocolate aroma fills the air. They move their conversation to the couch.

 

 

"And then i came to your house", Jihyo says, finishing the story. "There's no way i could be around my mum after this. Could you imagine her reaction if she found out i broke up with him?".

Nayeon nods sympathetically. "It sure would be bad timing, with the whole being on tv as a couple thing".

"Well, that would be the main thing she would care about.. not not my feelings", Jihyo takes a long sip like she is hiding her face after saying that last part.

"You must be sad about losing him", she says gently.

"Losing who? he made it pretty clear that the man i thought he was was somebody i had imagined. I'm not losing anything because none of what we had was actually real", Jihyo says, feeling that lump in her throat again.

"I know..", Nayeon says sympathetically, looking into her eyes. "He showed his true colours as a dishonest, inconsiderate, and selfish man and you deserve way better than that", Her face softens. "I hope the next person who loves you will be somebody kinder". Nayeon's words have a particular sincerity to them and suddenly it's like a dam is broken and tears pour from Jihyo's eyes. Nayeon pulls her close and Jihyo ends up putting her mug down and laying with her head in Nayeon's lap.

"I really loved him. Since high school! My only boyfriend and this is what he does", She says betwen sobs. Nayeon seems lost for words so she starts stroking Jihyo's hair, providing comfort that way. "I hate that when i found out, he didn't even attempt to acknowledge how he might have made me feel. He was more focused on making sure i didn't get the wrong idea about his fetish. He didn't seem sorry about what he had done, just sorry that i found out".

"He's a spoiled rich boy. He thinks that not getting to have every little thing you want is some sort of tragedy. He's not used to considering the needs of others before his".

Jihyo pauses, attempting to find some composure. "Nayeon, can i ask you a question?"

"Of course".

"Do you think men like him can experience love? Because i loved him, and it didn't feel like he thought he was lying when he said he loved me, but my love was very different to his love. So different that they shouldn't be in the same category, but I thought we felt the same thing because we used the same word. If what he felt for me is what he considers love, then.. i don't know, sorry, i'm rambling".

"It's ok, i get what you're saying, sort of.. I think the definition of love can vary from person to person and yours can change as you get older. Also, Jinyoung's definition of love is insulting and self serving compared to yours.

Jihyo nods her head in Nayeon's lap and sniffles. Her tears have mostly stopped now.

"Do you want me to get you a tissue?", Nayeon offers, gazing down at her.

"Yes please", Jihyo says and sniffles again. She sits up on the couch, feeling dizzy and dehydrated but somehow a bit better than she did before she arrived at Nayeon's apartment. There's nobody else she can be like this around. Even when she was with Jinyoung, Nayeon was better at handling her emotional side.

"I got you some water as well", Nayeon says as she returns with a box of scented tissues. In that moment Jihyo wishes that she had her own apartment away from her mum, where she could make Nayeon feel as looked after as she does for her. It's a fleeting and impractical idea, but the thought of it makes her feel warm.

"Is that why you never date anybody anymore? Because your definition of love changed as you got older?", Jihyo asks.

Nayeon stands in front of her with a hand on her hip. "Mostly, yeah. As i got older I realized relationships i'd had when i was younger were unappealing and no men i've met seem like they would love me how i want to be loved. I have no issue with being single, so it's better to be in no relationship than a relationship that isn't right. That's how i see it".

Jihyo nods. "That's pretty wise actually. Only, i couldn't do the celibacy thing like you do".

"Hey! I'm not celibate!.. Jerk". Nayeon playfully pushes her and Jihyo starts laughing, which seems to be contagious.

Then Jihyo remembers how thirsty she is and sips the water Nayeon brought her. She thinks about how they've both been though a lot and they really need to do something to lighten the mood. She looks up at Nayeon with hey big round eyes. "Want to order pizza?".

 

 

Jihyo and Nayeon eat way too much greasy cheesy goodness. They drink so much soft drink it's like they're buzzing from all the sugar they've consumed. It feels like exactly what they needed. They also watch some of Nayeon's favourite dramas. As they watch Jihyo wonders if the reason Nayeon seems like she knows so much about love is that she watches so much in the romance genre. Then as she watches the dumb ways the characters were acting towards each other she thinks maybe not. At least watching it did a good job of  distracting them from their problems, at least for a little while.

Eventually, Jihyo gives in and checks her phone, seeing she has no messages from Jinyoung. She's honestly not sure whether she wanted him to message or not. She goes to check twitter but the site is down, probably for the best. She sighs. "Why couldn't i have gone on Neighbourhood Friends without him? Why did we need to make our tv debut as a couple?". This is the first time she's mentioned Jinyoung since the pizza arrived and it makes Nayeon pause the show they are watching.

"You could still see where this wave of publicity you're having goes, attempt to make a name for yourself without him. I'm sure another reality show would be willing to take just you".

"I don't know. My agent called me about something like that on my way here but I turned it down. I'm not sure if i'd be any good on one of those shows if it's only me. I'm confident at singing and dancing but those shows are all about charisma.. I feel so much less confident than i did before all this".

"Aw, i'm sure you'd do well".

Jihyo doesn't reply and they both stare at the paused tv screen in silence. She looks at the beautiful happy faces of the actors and wonder if they had to deal with things like this.

"I wish somebody would just give me a new job", Nayeon says flatly, breaking the silence. She was also mentioning her problem for the first time since the pizza arrived.

Jihyo gives her a sympathetic look. "I hope somebody does as well". They go back to staring at the tv. "Hey!", Jihyo shouts abruptly, not realizing how loud her voice is. She jumps her body around so she's now sitting up straight facing Nayeon.

"What? What did i do?", Nayeon asks tiredly.

"Nothing, I just had an idea that could fix both of our problems", She says eagerly with a pepped up look in her eyes.

"..How?".

"My agent, the show he contacted me about. It's this new reality show a lot like that American show Big Brother. The idea is basically they put a bunch of women in this luxurious beach house on a deserted island. The catch is that the house is full of cameras and you're not allowed to have a phone or a computer or basically any contact with the outside world".

"How does that solve my problem?", Asks Nayeon confusedly.

"Bear with me Nayeon", She says happily and taps Nayeon's thigh with her hand, bouncing slightly against the old spongey couch cushions. Nayeon responds with a smile, but her eyes are still asking where she's going with this. "The ad was for two last minute contestants because two they had lined up pulled out or something. It starts filming in two days. We could make our audition video as a pair, do a best friends gimmick. I would feel so much better going back on tv without Jinyoung if you were there with me. I know it's not your sort of thing, but it would give you a place to live away from your parents. Also, there is a cash prize for the most popular contestant, and if i win it, i promise i'll give it to you so you can get on your feet with a new apartment".

"I couldn't take your prize if you won", Nayeon says.

"You might not have to, people would be more likely to hire you if they know you from tv", Jihyo replies enthusiastically. "If i could do this with you it would feel like an adventure or a holiday.. What do you say?".

Nayeon's mouth goes slightly lopsided as she contemplates. Jihyo watchs her with anticipation. "You know what?", She finally says. "Screw it, let's do it".

"Yes!", cheers Jihyo as she grabs Nayeon's hands. "We're gonna have so much fun, i promise".

"I'll hold you to that", remarks Nayeon jokingly. "..So, we have to make a video audition right?".

"Yeah", Jihyo says as she picks up her phone. "And i have just the music for it".

Nayeon bursts out laughing as Bad Girl Good Girl by Miss A plays from Jihyo's phone. "..We're not doing that", she says.

"I know", says Jihyo as she gazes at her friend, thinking about how special it is when she can make her laugh, and realizing how beautiful she looks when she is laughing.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Water spashes up from the side of the boat and dots a sharp briny taste on Jihyo's lips. The afternoon air is warm, thick, and it's rushing past her face so quickly it makes her eyes squint. The man at the helm has barely responded to her attempts at making conversation and she has since given up. She chooses instead to sit back and soak in the view as they carve through the water.

Just before they left land, she was briefed about the rules of the show, Beachside is the name of it. They gave her an idea of what will be expected of her and the other housemates. The main things she took away from this talk were:

  * Cameras are everywhere in and around the house. There is a fence which indicates where the cameras stop. you are not allowed to go past that area. 
  * Microphones are waterproof so you can wear them swimming. The only time you are allowed to remove them is to shower. Because of this, you cannot have anybody in the room with you when you shower.
  * Avoid looking directly into the cameras.
  * No swearing or overly inappropriate behaviour.
  * In this show nobody gets evicted or voted off, but there will be an audience vote for who is the most popular contestant.
  * No discussion of behind the scenes things, such as the fact that they are replacement contestants.
  * You will have mission cards with various tasks you need to complete.
  * The show won't be on the air right away because they need time to edit it.
  * Breaking the rules can be punished, you are being watched.



 

 

 

She wonders about what the other housemates will be like. She's never lived with anybody other than her family. She hopes she will be able to make a good impression.

Barrelling through the ocean is making her hair grow wild and defiant. A slightly meaner part of her is glad that the other housemate's hair will be just as messed up as hers. Nothing against them, she just doesn't want to be the only person looking like this.

Jihyo can see them in their boats, skipping along the water in the distance. They all had their pre show briefing separately and now they are all being taken to the island separately. For dramatic effect, she guesses. It would look better from the audiences point of view if everybody meets as they see the house for the first time.

All of a sudden they're almost there, like the island snuck out from it's hiding place behind the horizon. Jihyo attempts to savour her last moments of not being surveilled but instead she just feels stressed, reminded of the fact that she didn't get the chance to talk to Nayeon about what happened yesterday. Now, the opportunity is gone, or at least on hiatus.

As they veer closer to the shore Jihyo sees two strangers and one very familiar face standing on the beach, having recently exited their boats. They are in front of the sort of house you'd imagine belonging to a celebrity. The first stranger has yellow blonde hair and is wearing a loose white button up shirt. The other has brown hair and is dressed a bit more girly. Jihyo watches her comb her hair with her fingers as she talks to the blonde, like she's trying to fix what the wind did to it. Then she notices that Nayeon looks surprisingly different.

As her boat hits land Jihyo hurries out of the boat and into the shallow water, feeling her bare feet sink in the soggy sand as she walks.

"Hey! You dyed your hair!", Jihyo exclaims.

"Do you like it?", Nayeon asks, smiling. Her hand goes to touch her auburn hair.

"It looks great", Jihyo says as she gives her a quick hug to says hello. She notices Nayeon hesitate. This was the sort of reaction she was expecting when she was stressing about the conversation she failed to have. "Hey i'm so sorry if you tried to contact me yesterday or today. Because Mum found out about _the_ _thing with him_ and she banned me from my phone to punish me". She hopes that the thing with him is a clear enough code for her and Jinyoung's break up. She hasn't had the chance to announce it publicly yet. she plans to while she's in the house, but now is not the time.

"Yeah, that's ok, I found out when I called your house".

"You called my house?.. She didn't tell me", Jihyo says as any happiness seems to leave her face.

"Do you guys know each other?", asks the blonde woman confusedly.

" What was that?", Jihyo asks loudly, unable to hear her over the sound of the last boat arriving.

The blonde woman shouts, "Do you guys know each-". The motor turns off at the start of her sentence, leaving her yelling against silence. Jihyo goes to laugh but stops herself, seeing how she's looking down in embarrassment ".. Do you guys know each other?", The woman asks much more quietly.

"Yeah, we're best friends. We auditioned together", answers Jihyo.

"Aw", She says disappointedly. "Why didn't I think of doing that", she says in an effortlessly cute, pouty way. "Anyway, I'm Momo".

"Hey Momo, I'm Jihyo". Then she turns to the brown haired woman. "And what's your name?"

"It's Sana", she says sweetly, doing a small waving gesture. "It's nice to meet you". The last contestant exits her boat and they all introduce themselves. they learn that her name is Mina and she has the keys to the house.

 

 

The house is a work of art, modern, white and angular. It's the sort of house you never see yourself getting invited inside. Somehow, Jihyo is reminded of the first time she was taken to Jinyoung's mansion. They walk onto the elaborate patio and the amber hued marble strikes cold against Jihyo's wet feet.

"Wow we have a pool _and_ a beach right by our house", Jihyo comments to Nayeon, observing how the patio overlooks an artistically shaped pool, which in turn overlooks the beach. They continue up to the door.

"This sure is nicer than my apartment", Nayeon says as she gazes wide eyed through the massive windows as Mina works the key.

"Only a tiny bit", Jihyo remarks fondly.

The inside of the house feels airy and open, full of wide spaces and generously sized windows. The housemates are enchanted by it and run around pointing out every beautiful detail they discover to each other. Most strangely, there is a selection of gardening tools and plants on the dining table, but they are too distracted by everything else to investigate what that's about.

The bedrooms are warm and inviting with their plush carpets and king sized beds. The housemates designate who will have which bed and at Momo's suggestion, Jihyo and Nayeon will have the room with two beds because they are best friends. Mina, Momo and Sana will have the room with three beds.

Normally, Nayeon and Jihyo would share a bed when sleeping at each others houses. It's a pretty normal thing for close friends to do, at least Jihyo thinks so. Besides, it's much nicer than sleeping on a mattress on the floor and Nayeon says she really likes the feeling of going to sleep next to somebody. But Jihyo doubts they would do that on tv. Especially given recent unspoken of events between them.

"Hey guys! Come here, I found where they put the mission cards", Jihyo calls from the lounge room. The others stop what they are doing and their quick footsteps echo on polished timber as they hurry over.

" I'm so ready", Says Nayeon, playing with a piece of decorative plastic fruit in her hands.

"I wonder what it will be? I hope it's not anything embarrassing", Says Mina as Jihyo opens the card. Everybody leans in and reads over her shoulder.

"Hi and welcome to beachside. I hope that you enjoy your visit. Your first mission is to set up your house. You must complete the following tasks. Designate bedrooms and choose your beds.. Ok, we've done that", She comments before continuing reading. "Unpack your things and work together to set up a vegetable garden. There will be an instructional book on the kitchen table along with the materials you will need to complete this task", She finishes with a surprised look on her face. "..Anybody here good at gardening?".

Momo's hand shoots up. " I have a vegetable garden at home".

"I have some windowsill plants..", Mina adds hesitantly.

 " I'm sure we can make it work, by our powers combined", Says Nayeon with a smile.

Jihyo agrees and goes to get the instructional gardening book. On closer inspection, the potted plants on the table are a selection of vegetables, partially grown. Also, tomatoes, but that's practically a vegetable. An honorary vegetable, as Nayeon would say.

The others help to carry the heavy baskets of gardening supplies and plants outside. Around the back of the house they find what looks like an empty vegetable patch. Soil neatly divided into rows with nothing in them. Ready for things to be planted.

Jihyo finds herself being the person who reads the book and instructs the others on what they should be doing. She hopes that nobody is bothered by how she has taken it upon herself to direct this activity, somebody had to do it. Really it's more like she's co directing it with Momo, since she's the one who has actual gardening experience. Jihyo teaches the theory from the book and Momo teaches the practical hands on side.

 "I have to admit, for our first mission I was expecting something a bit more interesting", Comments Sana.

" What do you mean? This is lots of fun, you just need to get into it", Replies Momo enthusiastically, patting down the soil with her dirt covered hands, her sleeves rolled up around her elbows. "Before, when we had just arrived, you said one of your hobbies was cooking, right?".

 "Yeah".

"Trust me, food cooked with vegetables you grow yourself tastes so much better. I don't know why, it just does", Says Momo.

" I'd like to try that.. but digging around in the soil feels kind of gross", replies Sana.

"I saw some gardening gloves in the basket if you want them", Says Nayeon from her corner where she's helping Mina dig a hole to house a tomato plant.

" Aw but getting your hands dirty is the best part. You know, I read somewhere that there are properties in soil which can have a mild anti depressant effect", Says Momo.

"That sounds kind of fake", comments Mina.

" No, really!", Says Momo indignantly, embarrassment a bit too obvious on her face.

Sana pauses, like she's weighing up her options, then she looks at Momo sympathetically. "Sorry, I don't want dirt under my nails if I can avoid it", She says as gently as she can. " I did them specially". Then she goes to get the gloves.

"Hey, can I see them?", Momo asks.

"Of course", Sana replies as she digs through the basket. She walks back over with the gloves in her hand.

Sana stands in front of her with her hand out. Momo is still crouched on the ground, wiping the dirt from her hands. She gently holds Sana's hand with both of her hands to admire the elaborate detail of her manicure. Jihyo pokes her head over to have a look. Sana's nails are short and pink with tiny shards of holographic foils glossed over them.

"They look really beautiful, you're talented at nail art", Comments Jihyo. Momo lets go of Sana's hand, still gazing up at her.

"Thank you. I'm a beautician so it's something I have a lot of practice at", Sana replies as she slips on the the bulky gardening gloves. " What do you guys do? I never asked".

"I'm a paranormal case worker", Momo says much too casually then turns to resume her garden work.

There is a silence.

"Um, excuse me? You're not serious are you?", Asks Jihyo.

"I'm serious" She says, examining the potted capsicum plant in front of her.

".. What exactly does a paranormal case worker do?", Asks Sana curiously, crouching down to be at Momo's level. Nayeon stops what she's doing and moves closer to Momo as well.

Momo sits the plant in her lap and glances up at them. "Since I was a kid I've had the ability to see and talk to ghosts. As a case worker, I'm hired by people who have a problem with a ghost, like hauntings and that sort of thing. It's my job to learn why the ghost is hanging around and figure out how to help it move on".

Jihyo notices that Momo barely makes any eye contact as she explains this. She supposes it would be a difficult thing to talk about.

" It's nice that you can help people feel better, but ghosts aren't real", Says Mina from her corner, undistracted from her work.

"Yes they are!", Replies Sana and Nayeon in unisen. This makes Jihyo laugh a bit.

" But how do you know?", Asks Mina.

"How do you know they're not?", Rebuts Sana.

Mina pauses and puts her hands in front of her like a stop motion. " I'm just going to leave it".

"Do you believe in ghosts Jihyo?", asks Nayeon.

" Well..". She feels the expectant eyes of Momo, Sana and Nayeon on her and hates that she's being put in this position. "..No, but like, I don't have a strong opinion. Maybe they could be real.. but probably not. No offense".

" It's ok, I know not everybody can believe", replies Momo. "Hey, could somebody pass me the tiny shovel thing?".

Mina passes it to her and the housemates resume gardening. Momo shows Sana how to transfer a potted coriander plant into the ground and she manages to do it successfully. Jihyo smiles at how happy Sana is about accomplishing that small task. The warm breeze is becoming zesty and aromatic as they bring more herbs into the vegetable patch.

Then, Sana makes a suggestion. " I have an idea, only if you're all ok with it. If you want I can go make us dinner while you do the rest of the gardening so when you're done you can all just sit down and have something to eat instead of having more work to do".

"That would be really nice of you", replies Nayeon.

" Yeah, do you need any help?", Jihyo offers, but she finds herself hoping the answer is no because helping would mean leaving the smooth gentle sunlight and going inside.

"No, it's ok. But I should ask, does anybody have any dietary requirements?".

" Jihyo's allergic to pineapple", Nayeon answers.

"Ok, I'll remember that. Anybody else?". The silence answers her question. " Alright, i'll see you all soon", Sana says, then she disappears into the house.

 

 

They finish as the sun is just starting to go down and orange light filters in through the windows. They all walk into the house, tired and hungry, but also satisfied. The kitchen is alive with flavors that linger in the air.

"It's almost ready!", Says Sana as she stirs something in the frying pan. "The fridge and freezer are packed! If our garden dies, there is more than enough frozen vegetables", she adds.

" Let's hope it doesn't come to that", Replies Nayeon playfully.

"If you sit down at the table I'll come serve it up in a minute", Sana tells the housemates.

Everybody obeys and Jihyo gets a seat next to Nayeon and Mina. As promised, in a minute Sana comes out with piping hot bowls of noodles coated in a thick fragrant sauce sauce. Sesame and garlic waft through Jihyo's nostrils as she admires the care that went into the delicate presentation of the vegetables on top. It's a very aesthetically pleasing dish.

"This looks delicious. Thank you Sana", says Jihyo. Everybody else at the table thanks her as well.

"I hope you enjoy it. You know, we kind of got side tracked from our conversation before. I never heard the rest of you answer when I asked what you all do", Says Sana as she brings some of the slippery noodles to her mouth.

"I work as a waitress at my family's restaraunt. It's alright but I'd like to do something else eventually. What I'm really passionate about is ballet but it's rare to actually make a career out of that", answers Mina.

" If it's your passion then you should definitely try, you never know what could happen", Says Jihyo.

"I guess I could. I'm not sure I'm as optimistic as you though. What about you? What do you do?".

" I'm into all sorts of things, singing, dancing, acting, especially singing. I'm trying to find work as an entertainer, I'm pretty flexible about what sort. Recently I was on the show Neighborhood Friends. I'm not sure if you've seen it".

"That's where I know you from!", exclaims Mina, lightly slamming her hand down on the table. You looked so familiar but I couldn't put my finger on it. " You were the girl in the so sweet I could die relationship.. I mean that in a nice way, to be clear. What was his name.. Jinyoung?".

"I never saw it but I think I heard my friend talking about you", said Momo. " She was jealous". She adds with a friendly smile.

Suddenly, Jihyo feels a hand on hers under the table. She looks to the side and sees Nayeon giving her a sympathetic look, letting her know she's here for her with her touch. Somehow the gesture means more when it's happening against the recent awkwardness between them. Jihyo feels warm, and for a second almost forgets the conversation she's having. She squeezes Nayeon's hand and thinks about how she has no idea what she would do if she wasn't here to support her through this.

Jihyo hates that she has to tell anybody at all, but it's necessary. She reminds herself of the big picture.

Jihyo is suddenly extremely  aware of the presence of the cameras intruding on this conversation. Aware of the fact that her mother will watch this and know that she publicly defied her order to not announce the break up.

"Actually, Jinyoung and I broke up".

" Oh, i'm sorry I brought it up", says Mina.

"Are you ok?", asks Momo.

" I'm dealing with it. It's a big change".

"Is it ok if I ask why you broke up?", Asks Sana.

Jihyo glances to the side, seeing Nayeon looking at her with wide uncertain eyes. She briefly entertains the idea of telling the truth, which would would probably be the only way she could hurt him as much as he had hurt her, but she choses not to. She just isn't the vengeful type, and it just wouldn't be classy.

"He said that he wanted to date other women. I guess he was a lot less serious about the relationship than I was".

" That's really sad, I'm sorry that happened", says Sana.

"She deserves so much better than him", Says Nayeon, grasping her hand tight.

" Being her best friend, you must want to kill him", says Sana.

"Yeah". Nayeon lets go of her hand and and turns to look directly at a camera that's sitting in the top corner of the room. "Watch out Jinyoung", She says flatly, with death in her eyes. She turns back to an awkward silence and a startled look on everybody's face except Jihyo's. "I'm joking! Joking!", she laughs. Jihyo hopes that the audience will get Nayeon's sense of humour, for her sake.

"No looking directly into the cameras", Jihyo reminds her through her laughter.

" Sorry, forgot".

Jihyo steers the subject away from Jinyoung. Nayeon end up answering the "What do you do" question as well. It was hard to watch because Jihyo knows how much Nayeon hates lying, but it was only a harmless lie about why she lost her last job. Telling the truth in this situation would make nobody want to hire her.

Jihyo starts getting a headache while she's helping clean up and the others encourage her to go lie down. Nayeon offers to give her some company but Jihyo turns her down. After the words leave her mouth she realizes she has no idea why she said no. Regardless, Jihyo walks to the bedroom.

 

 

Jihyo climbs into her bed and covers herself in sapphire blue satin sheets. It feels sleek and luxurious against her skin. She tosses onto her side, which leaves her staring at Nayeon's empty bed as she wishes her head to stop throbbing. It occurs to her that she will have to be in this room with Nayeon and nobody else and it makes her feel uneasy. Then she realizes why she turned Nayeon down before. The idea of being in a room just the two of them, completely unable to discuss what happened between them because of cameras, was something she had the urge to avoid. But she knows that's not the best way to go about this situation. If only she had the chance to talk to her.

"Hey! Look at this expensive juicer!", She overhears Sana shout from the kitchen with a bit more enthusiasm than the situation warrants. This was accompanied by the sound of things crashing out of a cupboard, followed by the sound of people laughing.

She's glad their having fun. She wishes her headache would go away so she could have the distraction of being around them. She also wishes that she had been less impulsive yesterday, then she wouldn't need to distract herself from thinking about Nayeon.

 It's too early for her to sleep, but she lies there hoping she can regardless.

A little bit later Nayeon and Sana come to check on her. " It's a bit dark in here", Sana comments as they walk into the shadow draped room.

"I was hoping it would help me sleep".

"Are you feeling any better?", Nayeon asks.

" Sort of, now I mostly just feel tired but I can't sleep", She says, noticing the tall glass Sana is holding which is full of pulpy pink liquid.

"Aw, that's rough", Nayeon says sympathetically.

"We made a juice to help you get better. You _need_ to try it", Sana announces.

" It's made of like, every fruit in the house", Nayeon adds.

"Except pineapple", Sana clarifies.

" Thank you, that's really sweet", Jihyo says, smiling at both of them.

Sana walks toward the bed but somewhere along the way loses her footing. Nayeon tries to catch her but she ends up spilling the juice all over Jihyo's bed, and some on Jihyo herself.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so clumsy! I should be banned from holding things!", exclaims Sana.

Jihyo is silent, the does a big sigh. " It's ok. I know it wasn't on purpose. It's really annoying though", she says as she gets out of her bed.

"I'll go get some towels to soak it up", Says Nayeon before running out of the room.

Jihyo and Sana examine the bed together.

" Oh no. If I get you clean sheets your mattress will still be soaked", Sana comments. "I'll wash your sheets for you though".

" I guess I'll be sleeping on the couch then", Jihyo says as Nayeon runs back into the room with a bundle of towels.

"You don't have to sleep on the couch, you can share my bed with me if you want, it's huge".

" I don't know..", Jihyo replies softly, eyes to the ground.

"Hey. I'm completely ok with it. I promise", Nayeon says with emphasis. Jihyo looks back at her and she knows that Nayeon knows exactly why she's hesitating. She wonders what meaning she is supposed to interpret from this.

" Ok. Thanks Nayeon. I'll need to shower first. Can't get juice all over your bed".

Nayeon replies with a nod and a noteably large smile.

 

When she's all done showering Jihyo sees Nayeon already tucked snuggly into bed. "So, what do you think of being on the show? Do you regret it yet?", Asks Jihyo as she lifts up the corner and slides into bed beside her.

" No..", Nayeon answers, shuffling slightly. "I'm having fun so far. Why? Are you regretting it?".

" No way, I'm in my element", Jihyo answers. A silence follows.

Being this close to her, she can inhale Nayeon's sweet perfume. It's like caramel, vanilla and honey and reminds her of home, in a nice way.

"Are you feeling ok about telling people about the break up?".

Jihyo nods. " It's for the best.. You helped me have the courage to do it".

"I'm glad..", Nayeon says softly then she moves from laying on her back to laying on her side facing Jihyo. "Hey can I ask something?".

Jihyo feels flustered as she stares into her sparkling eyes, laying this close to her. " What is it?", she asks.

"Are we going to talk about what happened yesterday at the mall?".

" Yes.." Jihyo answers, feeling the question hang heavy in the air. "But not while we're being watched".

It pains her that this is all she can say. Jihyo knows that this conversation will be suspicious enough to the people watching the show, but best friends are allowed to have secrets.


End file.
